The Iowa House of Representatives is one of 20 state legislative chambers noted by Ballotpedia staff as being a battleground chamber. The Iowa House has a difference in partisan balance between Democrats and Republican of six seats, which amounts to 6 percent of the chamber. In 2012, a total of 27 districts were competitive or mildly competitive. There were 18 districts where the margin of victory was 5 percent or less in the 2012 elections. Another nine districts had a margin of victory between 5 and 10 percent.

Incumbents retiring

A total of ten incumbents are not running for re-election in 2014. Those incumbents are:

Qualifications

The Iowa Constitution states, "No person shall be a member of the house of representatives who shall not have attained the age of twenty-one years, be a citizen of the United States, and shall have been an inhabitant of this state one year next preceding his election, and at the time of his election shall have had an actual residence of sixty days in the county, or district he may have been chosen to represent."[1]

Competitiveness

Candidates unopposed by a major party

In 58 of the 100 districts up for election in 2014, there is only one major party candidate running for election. A total of 31 Democrats and 27 Republicans are guaranteed election in November barring unforeseen circumstances.

Two major party candidates will face off in the general election in 42 of the 100 districts up for election. Fifteen of those seats held competitive elections in 2012 with a margin of victory ranging from 0 to 5 percent. Two other elections were mildly competitive, with a margin of victory of 5 to 10 percent. Those districts are:

Competitive

District 7: Incumbent Tedd Gassman (R) will face off against challenger Dave Grussing (D) in the general election. Gassman won by a margin of victory of 0.3 percent in 2012.

District 26: Incumbent Scott Ourth (D) will face off against the winner of the Republican primary between James L. Butler and Eric Durbin in the general election. Ourth won by a margin of victory of 4 percent in 2012.

District 30: Incumbent Joe Riding (D) will face off challenger Zach Nunn (R) in the general election. Riding won by a margin of victory of 4 percent in 2012.

District 43: Incumbent Chris Hagenow (R) will face off against the winner of the Democratic primary between Nicholas Dreeszen and Kim Robinson in the general election. Hagenow won by a margin of victory of 0.1 percent in 2012.

District 47: Incumbent Chip Baltimore (R) will face off against the winner of the Democratic primary between Hans Erickson and Mark J. Trueblood in the general election. Baltimore won by a margin of victory of 5 percent in 2012.

District 58: Incumbent Brian Moore (R) will face off against challenger Kim Huckstadt (D) in the general election. Moore won by a margin of victory of 3 percent in 2012.

District 60: Incumbent Walt Rogers (R) is opposed in the Republican primary by challenger Jason Welch. Karyn Finn (D) will face the Republican nominee in the general election. Rogers won by a margin of victory of 4 percent in 2012.

District 63: Incumbent Sandy Salmon (R) will face off against challenger Teresa Meyer (D) in the general election. Salmon won by a margin of victory of 0.7 percent in 2012.

District 68: Incumbent Daniel Lundby (D) will face off against challenger Ken Rizer (R) in the general election. Lundby won by a margin of victory of 0.7 percent in 2012.

District 72: Incumbent Dean Fisher (R) will face off against challenger Ben Westphal (D) in the general election. Fisher won by a margin of victory of 1 percent in 2012.

District 76: Incumbent David Maxwell (R) will face off against challenger Eric Pederson (D) in the general election. Maxwell won by a margin of victory of 5 percent in 2012.

District 92: Incumbent Frank B. Wood (D) will face off against challenger Ross C. Paustian (R) in the general election. Wood won by a margin of victory of 5 percent in 2012.

District 95: Incumbent Quentin Stanerson (R) will face off against challenger Kristi Keast (D) in the general election. Stanerson won by a margin of victory of 1 percent in 2012.

Mildly competitive

District 13: Incumbent Chris Hall (D) will face off against challenger Nick Noyes (R) in the general election. Hall won by a margin of victory of 7 percent in 2012.

Previously Competitive, Now Unopposed
One district that held a competitive election in 2012 has only one major party candidate in 2014.

District 39: Incumbent Jake Highfill (R) is opposed in the Republican primary by challengers Taylor Egly and Jerry Kinder. No Democratic candidate filed to run. Highfill won by a margin of victory of 4 percent in 2012.

District 56: Incumbent Patti Ruff (D) is the only candidate filed to run. Ruff won by a margin of victory of 2 percent in 2012.

District 80: Incumbent Larry Sheets (R) is the only candidate filed to run. Sheets won by a margin of victory of 0.8 percent in 2012.

Primary challenges

A total of six incumbents will face primary competition on March 18. Ten incumbents are not seeking re-election in 2014 and another 84 incumbents will advance past the primary without opposition. The state representatives facing primary competition are:

District 25: Incumbent Stan Gustafson (R) is opposed in the Republican primary by challenger Joan Acela. No Democratic candidate filed to run.